How Governor’s Proposals Could Spark Growth of South Dakota Breweries

YANKTON, S.D. – Less than two minutes of the Governor’s State of the State address addressed micro-breweries in South Dakota.

The Governor says he plans to “peel back red tape” in the industry to allow home-grown breweries to expand.

Now some area beer makers say those two minutes could dramatically change their businesses for years to come.

“Our most popular beer by far, is called West Side Park which is named after the park up by the hospital in Yankton, its where all the ducks and geese are,” said Ben Hanten of Ben’s Brewing Co. in Yankton.

Using Yankton as inspiration for some of his brews, Hanten has been crafting his own beers for some time now.

“West Side Park is a juicy IPA and I like to say at $3.50 a pint at Happy Hour, you’re not going to find a better IPA in the area.”

Hanten opened his Yankton bar 13 years ago. Last October, he transitioned to a fully-operational brewery.

“We started brewing in house as a way to satisfy our customer’s thirst,” he said.

When he heard Governor Dennis Daugaard mention breweries in his state of the state address, Ben said his ears perked up.

He says if the Governor’s proposals to loosen state regulations on micro-breweries take effect, his business could grow dramatically overnight.